It was named for Spencer Compton, first earl of Wilmington (1673-1743), a leading British politician who was a long-serving speaker of the House of Commons (1715-1727) before his elevation to the peerage and later the second British prime minister (1742-1743).

North Carolina’s colonial governor, Gabriel Johnston, chose the name because the earl of Wilmington was his political patron. The colonial Assembly made it official when it chartered Wilmington in February 1740. Before then, the settlement had been known as New Liverpool and later as Newton. (One early developer, James Wimble, marked it as “Wimbledon Castle” on a map he drew up. It didn’t catch on.)

Ask a question

If you’re looking for answers about living in coastal North Carolina, you’ve come to the right place.
If we don’t have the answer to your question, we’ll find out or try to find someone who does.
Hey, that’s our job! So, ask your question below and we’ll do our best to find
the answer. Once we do, we’ll post it in an appropriate category.

Your name

Your e-mail address

Can we use your name to credit you by name (no e-mail or other contact information) with this question when we post an answer?
Yes

Talk to us!

Have a comment about this post or know more about the answer? Use this form to let us know.
Note that all comments are moderated and must be approved before they are posted, although you
may see your own comments the first time you post them.